Hi all! Thanks for the add. To preface, sorry if I'm in the wrong area or any of that. Read basics and such, but...yeah. For first timers of course any forum can be a bit overwhelming. Skip this next paragraph (context of question) if you just want to get into the question.

So. For background/context, I am a big car guy. Mechanically capable. No expert but I certainly know a few things here and there. I would occasionally get the itch for a bike. Never had one. Dad always advised against it because we all live in Fairfield County CT and it's just a dangerous area to have a bike and commute/highway on it (he's had many over the years but not currently). In the last year I sold my street cars in favor of a truck and a race car because I'd just rather go to the track now than do dumb stuff on the street. That being said, I now very much so miss having something fun for the backroads and chill cruises, but I do not want to have another $$ street car. Want to keep things cheap. Plus I only have a single car garage which has my race car. So after riding with my brother to a cars and coffee a couple weeks ago, the itch for a bike came back strong, as it was a gorgeous Sunday morning and roads were clear and there were a ton of bikes there. So I've been browsing bikes and doing my research again, but as I said I can't put a lot of money into one right now....

Fast forward to a week ago. I was talking to a family friend about this and he said he sold his 2014 S40  B. awhile back to another friend, who still has it, wants to get rid of it, and would give it to me suuuper cheap. Looked into em and honestly they seem like really great bikes to have, plus also good for a first bike. And exactly what I'm looking for. Needless to say I've been looking into savages and I'm hooked. The issue is that it's a salvage title. Guy is older/definitely not techy, but the 2 pics he sent the bike looks super clean and has 5.5k miles.

As my family friend put it, the owner says the salvage title is a big issue and "It needs front forks" and obviously that costs more than the bike is worth (guessing that means seals are probably leaking..?). But before that, they could never figure out why it was salvage, aka they never found something wrong with it and it rode and ran fine. Kind of unclear if it was salvage from the forks or something else, haven't had time to actually talk strictly about this bike. Obviously I'd look at and inspect it thoroughly before buying anyways, but yeah.

I know to register it I'd have to take before and after pics, have receipts, etc etc, get the inspection blah blah blah. My question is: Does anyone know if the front forks would have to be brand new to pass salvage inspection? Could they be aftermarket? Could I just rebuild them myself? Has anyone done any of these, or does anyone have experience getting a salvage S40? My thought process is that if I can get this bike for $1k or less (would also love recommendations on how much to pay for it, if anything at all lol) do the work myself, pass the inspection, I could have a really nice cruiser bike to learn on and just enjoy when I can, for a fraction of the price and some sweat equity....Please advise! Maybe I will actually be joining this community soon  

My 2cents:
If you haven't ridden before, the last bike I'd buy is a salvage. Buy something that's cheap and runs now, get some miles under you and decide if that's what you want. Sell it if your itch is scratched.
Buy a salvage in October, put it on the road in April.
Cheers!  

I would vote that salvage title is OK.

I live in PA.  Laws about the same here as above.  

My -07 S40 was totaled about 10 years ago.  Gas tank dented, front fender bent up, forks askew, pegs and brake lever bent up, busted headlight.  

I bought the remains from insurance company for cheap (I don't remember, maybe $50 ? ).

For inspection, it just had to pass like a normal inspection( brakes work, lights work, horn, etc)  it did NOT have to be like new at all.  They did require at least some reciepts.  (I bought a new front fender and headlight guts on ebay plus rattle cans.)

I don't think I had more than $200 plus my time in the repairs.   Probably should have bought a new tank, but decided to bondo the dents.  

I did the repairs myself (I am not a pro at all).  As I remember:

Bondo'd up the tank dent + rattle can
Loosened up fork clamps and fork tubes moved back into place.
Put in new headlight bulb, bondo'd up headlight bucket and painted flat black
fabricated a new rear brake lever, pegs from scrap.

All the chrome parts I had to repair I just painted flat black.   Mine S 40 is pearl white, I got a used fender that color, but I just painted the tank repair Rust-Oleum white.  It's not a great match, but I don't care.  

It doesn't look too great, but it looks OK.

I didn't have any trouble with the enhanced inspection.  As far as I could see it was the same as the regular annual inspection except a lot more paperwork.  

I'm still riding it.  I keep thinking about getting another bike, but as you may have surmised, I'm cheap.  

verslagen1 wrote on 05/12/22 at 13:17:14:



If the forks are bent, the frame may also be bent.  This could make the bike 'dog walk' down the road:  An undesirable condition.

I second what Spamy says. In Florida if it already HAS a salvage title then somebody has been through the steps to get a "totaled" bike inspected and titled. I don't know how expensive or cheap bikes are where you are but I bought my 2011 abandoned and non-runner S40 with a CLEAN title for $400 here in Miami. Turned out it didn't start due to a bad clutch switch! Anyway, at least for me, if the bike was cheap and straight I would not be afraid to buy a bike with a salvage title - as long as a comparable runner with a clean title could not be had as cheaply!